TWENTY YEARS PROGRESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 430, 11 August 1928, Page 12

TWENTY YEARS PROGRESS

League Game Has Made Great Headway in New Zealand

AUCKLAND’S PHENOMENAL RISE

THE League Kugby game in Auckland lias made such tremendous strides within the space of 20 years that one wonders when saturation point in its development will be reached. No more remarkable tribute to the code could be asked for than the record mid-week attendance of 15,000 at last Wednesday’s match against the Englishmen.

By vigorous and progressive management, Auckland has become the leading League centre of the Dominion. The game has been slower to get a footing in the South owing to the difficulty of securing grounds, but on the West Coast and in Christchurch and Dunedin, it is making steady headway, and the English Leaguers’ tour should give it a great boost along.

M OST people are probably aware that the Northern Union game of Kugby football was established in England as a result of a breakaway from the English Rugby Union in the middle of the nineties. As the working man in the Old Country was unable to forfeit the loss of time and expenses incurred in travelling, etc., he was practically debarred from taking part in games under Rugby Union rules.

Sooner than this, several prominent officials, after vain efforts to get the rules altered, decided to form what is known as the English Rugby League. This body amended the rules and laws of the game with a view of bringing it up to a more spectacular and scientific standard. A START IN NEW ZEALAND The introduction of the game in New Zealand and Australia came after the visit of the All Blacks to England in 1905. Mr. A. IT. Baskerville, of Wellington, organised a team to make a tour of Australia and England. Great interest was taken in this tour, both on account of the fact that this was the first outside team to visit England to play its code of Rugby, and also as it included a number of victorious “All Blacks.” A prominent official of the English Union informed the Press in England that it was only a “phantom team,” but this remark rather helped the success of the tour. On the return of Baskerville’s team via Australia, a couple of exhibition games were played in Sydney and Brisbane, the result of which was to give considerable impetus to the game —and now to-day New Zealand and Australia vie with the parent body in strength and supremacy. It was a sad day when the founder of the game in Australia, the late Mr. Baskerville, was taken seriously ill with pneumonia in Brisbane on the return journey—and after four days’ illness he passed away. His remains were brought back

to Wellington and laid to rest there. The English team will place a wreath on his grave when they reach Wellington, as a tribute to the pioneer of the code in New Zealand. THE FIRST IN THE DOMINION On the return of the team in 1908, a match was played in Wellington before a large attendance of spectators, this being the first game of Northern Union football to be played in New Zealand. Two or three games were then played in Auckland, and the outcome was a meeting called for the purpose of forming a Northern Union League. This meeting was held on July 20, 1908, in the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. A. E. Glover, M.P., presiding. The then Mayor of Auckland, Mr. C. D. Grey, was the first president. While on the subject it is worthy to mention that in the past the King has honoured the game with his patronage, and the Earl of Derby has also held the position of president. At the inception of the game in Auckland the officials had no end of obstacles to overcome as regards playing areas and prejudice against the game. Gradually, the greater part of these difficulties has been overcome, and to-day the game is on a firm footing, thanks to the keen public support and the loyalty of the players. RAPID PROGRESS When % one considers that the game has only been in existence for practically 19 years, it will be recognised that it has made marvellous strides. During that time, several visits have been made by English and Australian teams. In the latter end of the season 1910, an Auckland team made a missionary tour of the Dominion, going as far south as Dunedin and the Bluff. By this time the League’s finances were

very low, but the players were loyal and confident, and each member of the team put up £lO a-piece towards expenses with no definite promise of

a refund. However, after the following season when the visiting team returned from Australia, the League was able to refund the out-going money of the players concerned —the trip on that occasion returning a net balance of £1,182. Since that time the code has made wonderful progress both in Australia and New Zealand. In 1910 there were four clubs in Auckland; City, Ponsonby, Newton and

North Shore. Some sterling games were played between these teams. It may be mentioned that when the City club was placed in the field by that well-known veteran “Opai” Asher, the first three matches resulted in drawn games. MAORI REPS It is certainly very interesting to note that even as far back as 1908, the Maoris took a keen interest in the new code of Rugby football, and that year a team composed of Maoris only

toured Australia. In spite of a misunderstanding concerning the rules of the game, the tour was quite successful and the team returned to the Dominion with colours flying. The following season another Maori team toured Australia under the managership of the late Mr. John Hettit, of Te Kuiti, a well-known League “head” in that district. This team was most successful, and managed to win most of the important games. Such bril-

liant displays did the Maorilanders put up on this occasion that the “big chiefs” of the game across the Tasman were not anxious to waste any time in signing them up for a tour of England. However, the New Zealanders felt that their team was not sufficiently strong enough to continue the tour to the Old Country, and they returned home. SHORTAGE OF GROUNDS It sounds like a fairy tale to hear how a Chinese market garden was, in the space of a few years, converted into one of the finest sports grounds in New Zealand. That, however, in a nutshell is the history of Carlaw Park, the headquarters of the Auckland Rugby League. The greatest drawback of the game in Auckland however, has been the shortage in playing areas, for there : were no grounds available in the early days where it was possible to j make a charge. All the games had to | bo staged, admission free, which had, no doubt, a good deal to do with the game becoming so popular. It was a common sight to see six or seven 1 thousand at an ordinary club match at Victoria Park and the officials standing at the gates with collection boxes —the only means of getting a little finance with which to carry on the game. The results were very fair. Mr. James Carlaw, who was then chairman of the Auckland League, secured a ground from the Auckland Hospital Board. It was a Chinese garden and many were of the opinion that it would not be a success. But it has turned out to be one of the finest playing grounds in New Zealand—thanks to the hard work of the chairman and his committee. On Mr. James Carlaw retiring from the position of chairman of the Auckland Rugby League to take up the position of chairman of the New Zealand Rugby League, he was succeeded by Mr. W. J. Hammill who continued the good work.

To-day the Auckland Rugby League, to make provision for the extraordinary increase in public support, have plans on the way for extensive improvements to Carlaw Park, including accommodation under cover which it

is claimed will exceed anything of it, kind in New Zealand. CLUB FOOTBALL Club football is the backbone of ft* game in Auckland, and in respect e i trophies the League is particularly well endowed. The main club Maser carries with it the Monteith Shield which was donated in 1919 by Mr. F Monteith, the present patron of ft* Newton Club, and one of the keener

supporters of the code in New Zealand to-day. The intermediate section of the ckb season is catered for by the Roope Rooster. This unique football tropfcr is a silver rooster which was presented to the A.R.L. by Mr. R Roope, who ww secretary of the Auckland League in 1918. The cup was presented tor

charitable purposes and was a for a knock-out competition at of th© ordinary club season. The crowning triumph of the season is marked by the ba the Stormont Shield, which 1 peted for by the respective winning the Monteith Shield - ... Roope Rooster. This trophy. = (: carries with it the title of of Champions, was presented p. J. Stormont and family to ate the playing career of their Stormont, a well-known M Auckland representative. _ac An unusual award which during the League reason Thistle Cup. presented Keeling. It is held by ' tk® ‘ - rou® 3 ing the most points in the s of the senior competition.